Facebook confirms plans to bring the world online with fleet of solar-powered drones

[Gunzkewl]

 

Last year, Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook surprised many when it revealed that it joined forces with other major tech companies to bring internet access to the two-thirds of the world that's offline. But what's really surprising is how they plan to do it. Today, Facebook confirmed rumors that engineers are working on developing a fleet of solar-powered drones that can beam internet access down to people in remote regions of the world. Earlier this month, outlets reported that Facebook purchased a manufacturer of solar drones for roughly $60 million

Read more:http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/27/5555060/facebook-plans-to-bring-world-online-with-fleet-of-solar-powered-drones

Even though I dislike Facebook I think  using solar powered drones is a neat idea and a better approach than Google Project Loons

[MangoJuiceStain]

I think we should invest more in helping cure diseases or maybe feeding people around the world who are starving before thinking of flying fucking drones around the world to bring them internet. But that's just my opinion...

[L.E.D]

Kinda a waste of money.

[Peacefulwarrior]

We seriously could have done something better then give them internet that they simply don't need.

[cacra]

We seriously could have done something better then give them internet that they simply don't need.

They are private companies, they aren't doing this out of charity. They know that by giving lots of people access to the internet they will make more money.

[Blue fellow]

So you might not have any electricity, running/clean water, food, basic medicine, etc, but you'll have...internet?

[Whiskers]

So you might not have any electricity, running/clean water, food, basic medicine, etc, but you'll have...internet?

Knowledge is power.

Providing the third world countries with proper access to the internet is a way of providing them with access to a vast array of information that they would otherwise be completely unable to obtain. In lieu of a proper education system, this may just help improve things in a fundamental way.

Not to mention this isn't exclusively for countries living in severe poverty situations. It can also be for remote areas where internet access is simply not available, for example.

[Beskamir]

I rather project loon...

[Squeeks]

Of course they would throw money at this over medicine, clean water, or food. It's not about what the people need, facebook's product is their users and this is a way to increase their inventory.

[rashdanml]

We seriously could have done something better then give them internet that they simply don't need.

Fun fact, non-profit organizations who are supposed to be helping people in developing countries are doing absolutely nothing to help developing countries. 

In the mean time, the developed countries continue to exploit the fuck out of the developing world's vast quantities of natural resources (and labour). 

 

On topic - Drones are actually pretty versatile devices, and it's an interesting way of approaching the problem. 

[blaze124]

Wasn't google attempting something like this with weather balloons? What ever happed with that

[042]

RIP Privacy. Drones that provide "internet" all over the world. More like spy on everyone from above and data harvest.

[deathjester]

Fun fact, non-profit organizations who are supposed to be helping people in developing countries are doing absolutely nothing to help developing countries. 

In the mean time, the developed countries continue to exploit the fuck out of the developing world's vast quantities of natural resources (and labour). 

 

On topic - Drones are actually pretty versatile devices, and it's an interesting way of approaching the problem. 

 

Pretty much. The charities and people who run or own them are lauded, but if you look at how much money the charity holds and how much money it actually has to spend each year to keep charity status? They are just saving tax money and throwing themselves awesome parties.

 

If I want to give to someone? I live near Detroit. I have no desire or want to go through some charity organization when I can give to someone directly. Detroit needs all the help it can get. You can find people near you that need help. Haiti? Food sat there in warehouses. Live Aid? The food had to be distributed by the government which was the reason the people were screwed in the first place. All we did was give those people more money. I feel horrible for the people but the "charities" don't do a damn thing for them most of the time. I can't do anything about those governments, and no single person could even help out the poor in my own country (U.S.), and the people that can? Have charities and pat themselves on the back with the news channels they own or own stock in.

 

[gastew15]

Sounds like a nice idea that's mostly BS... I'd be impressed to see anything he said besides a regular tower be implemented and actually used. I don't know about anyone else but I've used Satellite internet before since it already exists and it's stupidly slow not to mention giantly expensive. The plane idea sounds nice and all, but sounds unfeasible and stupid..

[Hazy125]

Thalidomide... Wow... I'm leaving that there. Auto correct. This sounds like it will cause a lot of mid air collisions

[martinrox1568]

lol all the facebook haters. I love how everyone just says what the guy before them said instead of thinking for themselves. I didnt hear anyone complaining about project loon. 

[rashdanml]

Sounds like a nice idea that's mostly BS... I'd be impressed to see anything he said besides a regular tower be implemented and actually used. I don't know about anyone else but I've used Satellite internet before since it already exists and it's stupidly slow not to mention giantly expensive. The plane idea sounds nice and all, but sounds unfeasible and stupid..

The issue with satellites is two-fold:

1) Communications satellites are at much higher altitudes (usually 100-1000+ km). Higher distance, weaker signal. They're placed at higher orbits to avoid satellites colliding - you'd be surprised to hear how many objects (either satellites or space debris) are up there. 

2) Satellite antenna. These are sensitive to weather, which is why they're awful. The current technology uses towers for long distance transmission (which isn't quite the same as satellite dishes), with wires going from the towers to the different neighbourhoods as well as from any central hub broadcasting the signal (I'm guessing). 

 

The solution is a good possibility - it'll be closer to Earth at 20km, and there'll be many of them. It'll still need a receiver of some sort to receive the signal from the drone (which gets bounced around from drone to drone), but it won't have to be the same type of antenna as satellites (which is one major issue with satellite TV/Internet). 

 

There are obvious challenges, but it's a nice concept. Global internet access would be nice. 

 

e: Turns out, I was wrong. Depending on the provider, satellite providers orbit at around 30-40km. 

[Frankz]

Knowledge is power.

Providing the third world countries with proper access to the internet is a way of providing them with access to a vast array of information that they would otherwise be completely unable to obtain. In lieu of a proper education system, this may just help improve things in a fundamental way.

Not to mention this isn't exclusively for countries living in severe poverty situations. It can also be for remote areas where internet access is simply not available, for example.

I second this.

[ToxicFire]

It will all be ok until someones private jet collides with one then the lawsuits will begin and down will come the drones. this will be the decades of drone litigation.

[Guest]

Actually this is good. Internet is becoming more important each and every day.

Because it gives acces to the World Wide Web which contains so much knowledge....

You can give the argument of food and water and shelter being needed more and you're right. But this can only help to get those things faster if you have internet acces there.

[KamiKatze]

Amazon does something with drones: AWESOME do it!

 

Facebook does ANYTHING: Fukc you, that's stupid!

 

But in thise case i think both are stupid ideas.

[Guest]

Thalidomide... Wow... I'm leaving that there. Auto correct. This sounds like it will cause a lot of mid air collisions

Well at least that would provide excitement/entertainment to the poverty stricken areas to see sats colliding. Explosions!

[xXxYOLOxSWAGxXx_420BlazeIt]

Well at least that would provide excitement/entertainment to the poverty stricken areas to see sats colliding. Explosions!

The diagrams that you see of the worlds satalites are very misleading. They are never to scale. If they were to scale you wouldnt be able to see anything on them.

[Guest]

The diagrams that you see of the worlds satalites are very misleading. They are never to scale. If they were to scale you wouldnt be able to see anything on them.

I know, 1 minute after I said it I realized...still.... Would be nice to entertain them with that if something went wrong.

EDIT: went, not goed. Brain fart. It's early.

[rashdanml]

It will all be ok until someones private jet collides with one then the lawsuits will begin and down will come the drones. this will be the decades of drone litigation.

Private jets don't cruise at 20km. The highest commercial aircraft altitude is 11km (35000-40000ft). Private jets are usually half that, give or take.